UPND Presidential running mate, Mutale Nalumango has reportedly been detained by police in Luapula Province following clashes between her party and the Patriotic Front.
And UPND Alliance partner Kelvin Fube Bwalya has accused PF supporters and the police of attacking Ms Nalumango and her entourage yesterday.
Mr Bwalya also claimed that Ms Nalumango had been detained.
But police say they have not yet received a report of the alleged incident.
According to Mr. Bwalya, Ms. Nalumango and her entourage were allegedly attacked on a peaceful procession as they drove from Chiengi to Mansa.
In a voice note yesterday, Mr. Bwalya said in-between Chiengi and Nchelenge they were attacked and several UPND cadres were brutally beaten and injured but that Ms. Nalumango was not injured.
He said Alliance spokesperson Leslie Chikuse was injured and that UPND cadres were bundled in motor vehicles by the police and were driven for about 40 kilometres to Nchelenge police.
He said the UPND Alliance has maintained that its campaigns were being hindered, blocked and interfered with by the police and the PF cadres.
“This is exactly what the IG (Inspector General of Police) Kakoma Kanganja has instructed his boys to do. We all read what his notice said, they were going to use force on everybody they felt they could use force on. It appears that this force is only targeted at the UPND Alliance and its members. My appeal is that we all as members of the Alliance we remain calm,” Mr. Bwalya said.
He appealed to the UPND Alliance provincial leadership to rush to Nchelenge to help Ms. Nalumango, Mr. Chikuse and all its members but appealed to them to maintain peace and remain calm.
He said the Alliance members want to find out what the police are up to, adding that in this campaign period they do not want to give the police and the PF any excuse to stop next week’s elections.
Mr. Bwalya said they know what the PF and the police are allegedly up to but that the Alliance members would not allow them.
He appealed to the provincial police command to get on top of events around the Nchelenge area.
Mr. Bwalya said it is of no use trying to talk to Mr. Kanganja because he has not been helpful so far and that the Alliance members do not even want to talk to him at this stage.
“We know that in politics sometimes things happen but I can assure you nothing happens without being planned. This is exactly what the doctor ordered and we know who the doctor is and who is directing this violence towards the UPND Alliance. Let’s show them that we are peaceful people and we are not interested in violence.”
When contacted, police spokesperson Esther Katongo said she had not received any report from the Luapula police command by press time.
Author
